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Former President Donald Trump remarked on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted peace plan was not his ultimate proposal, after fierce reaction from Ukrainian leaders and analysts who likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During short remarks from the White House, Trump informed reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Switzerland Negotiations Involve Various Countries

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks there.

Ahead of these discussions, US senators told the press that State Department head Marco Rubio reached out to them while en route to Geneva to clarify the details of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Critical Time Limit

However, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. It calls on Ukraine to give up land under its control to Russia, downsize its military forces, and relinquish advanced weaponry. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice over the coming days involving keeping the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Formed for Upcoming Talks

In comments this weekend, the president said that genuine or "dignified" peace depends on assured safety and fairness. He announced a negotiating team, established by presidential decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by top aide Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, said there would be consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at limits, he noted: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This is another stage of the dialogue that has been ongoing in recent days and is primarily aimed at aligning our vision for the next steps."

International Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to engage constructively with the US administration apparently intent to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has made clear that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a collective declaration pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it requires further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, drawn up by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, he expressed he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded "barely anything" in the proposed deal and maintained troops in Ukraine. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Barchan, asserted that the country would remain resilient without American support. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She said that Ukraine ought to consider ceding certain regions for a limited time if it ensured maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Leaders Criticize the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."